Kathmandu, March 27

The Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal, which had announced a general strike on Saturday, called it off keeping in mind the Secondary Education Examination and Nepal Bar Association elections scheduled on that day.

The CPN issued a press release stating that it decided to call off the planned strike as Office of the Controller of Examination, Sanothimi, requested it to not create an obstacle in Secondary School Examination. The outfit added that it was withdrawing its general strike as Nepal Bar Association, which was scheduled to elect its office bearers on Saturday, also requested it to call off its protest.

Over 475,000 students will take SEE on Saturday.

The Chand-led outfit had announced general strike and other protest programmes to oppose the government crackdown on its cadres and leaders. The government has intensified its crackdown on the outfit since it outlawed it and banned its activities on March 12.

The CPN stated in its release that it would announce a new protest programme to oppose ‘this fascist government’s’ violent crackdown on its cadres and leaders.

The party said security forces had arrested hundreds of its cadres and leaders, including its standing committee member Hemanta Prakash Oli, and the government had filed false cases against them. The outfit stated that security forces were carrying out search operations in villages and alleged that they were also firing at CPN cadres and leaders.

“We will give a fitting response to the fascist government that in the name of banning our party has been carrying out search operations and violent activities against our leaders and cadres across the country,” the party stated in its release. It added that it was a true communist party that had been fighting for the welfare of the people and the country and had no option but to oppose the government’s crackdown.